Hot In The City
by Shellypg
Summary: Originally posted as part of the FSOG Fanfic Followers Hot Summer Nights challenge. Summary: Christian and Anastasia have history. The whole dominant / submissive deal didn't work out for them and they parted ways amicably because of Christians reluctance to ever have children. Six years of keeping their distance and their paths cross again while Seattle is amid a heatwave.


_Song credit – Billy Idol, Hot in The City._

 _All usual disclaimers apply – I do not own Fifty Shades._

 **Seattle General, early hours of August 3** **rd** **, 2017**

The humidity was intolerable, and the air felt almost thick with pollen. The temperature had been high for three weeks now and was set to peak in the next 24 hours, before giving way to the much-needed rain. Even at this early hour the heat was relentless and oppressive. Seattle was in meltdown.

The ER had been verging on a Code Black the whole day. As the dehydrated-masses got rehydrated and discharged, the situation had eased a little. There had been a lot of severe sun burns and a couple of referrals to the specialist burns unit at Harborview.

As day turned to night the clientele shifted towards the drunk and uncoordinated. The people of Seattle did not cope well with heat. They certainly didn't appear to grasp how much more impact a belly-full of alcohol would have if they were dried out to begin with. With just a couple of over-the-top youngsters recovering from a charcoal lavage and a rule-out fracture in curtain three, they were back to 'treating and streeting' for the most part. Peace finally descended on the emergency room.

"Ana, I got you a cold juice. Dean has a handle on those two" she gestured toward the board "and curtain two is ready for home, come sit while it's quiet."

Ana was beat. She glanced at the clock and scowled, disappointed but unsurprised to see it was almost four in the morning. At well over half way through her sixteen-hour rotation she was a hot, sweaty and short-tempered mess. It felt like the end was nowhere in sight. "Thanks, Grace." she called. "Hey, it's calmer now and you should have finished hours ago… why don't you take off?"

"Carrick's at a conference this week and I never sleep well in the heat. I may as well stay… in any case your attending is still covering upstairs and it's only a matter of time before we fill up again."

"You know I'm a third year Resident now, right? A few more months and I'll be running this ER. I can cope for a half hour 'til Susan gets back down here; I'll have her paged if I need her."

"I know you're more than capable, darling. Even so, if something occured and you were not appropriately supervised I'd never forgive myself." Grace sighed deeply. "I'll put some music on and kick back in front of the air con for a half hour." Grace raised her voice a little. "You should _all_ join me before we get the next round of 'lobsters' and 'drunk and fells' through the door."

"Amen to that!" called Hannah in response as she emerged from curtain two. She was followed by a sheepish looking teen and her parents - their latest discharge. The beautiful African-American nursing aide fanned herself with the chart as she made her way back to the admit desk. Ana looked on, enviously admiring how well put together Hannah looked while all around her were melting.

Over at the nurses' station Grace poured herself into the wheeled desk chair. She scooted backwards toward the admit desk where the old stereo sat. Puffing out another deep breath and running her fingers through her short blonde hair she smiled at Frankie as she wheeled herself alongside him. Frankie sat in his regular spot manning the admit desk and dispatch radio. He was sporting his usual shirt and tie despite the heat and early hour. Grace wheeled around him, stretching back to reach the stereo without having to go to the effort of getting up. She flipped through a few stations before settling on one and finally relaxing in to the chair. She exhaustedly pushed herself just a little further along the admit desk before kicking off her clogs and propping her swollen ankles up next to the almost empty rack of charts and the maxed-out air con unit.

"Katie's about to be on the radio" she called out to Ana.

" _You're listening to Eagle News, the time is 4am and it is hot, hot, hot. I am Bob Bowden. Before I take you through the next hour with all your best heatwave requests here is Kate Kavanaugh with the news headlines."_

" _Thank you, Bob. The top story this hour is the continuing heat wave sweeping the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures are rocketing from northern California through Oregon and Washington State. We have received confirmation of record breaking highs yesterday with the mercury topping out at 104 degrees at Portland International Airport. Even the lows are high. We are seeing a record highest low temperature of 76 overnight tonight here in Seattle."_

" _The heat looks set to continue through tomorrow with relief expected in the form of thunderstorms and a drop in temperatures by Sunday morning. The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for western Washington and Oregon with highs tomorrow forecast at 104 in Seattle, while Portland could reach 107 Fahrenheit._

" _Medical and meteorological experts alike are warning that the heat and humidity coupled with the high pollen could prove to be the perfect storm for those with allergies and respiratory conditions. Seattle officials are advising that people affected stay hydrated, take all medication as prescribed, and remain indoors wherever possible with doors and windows closed._

" _For those who do need to be out and about the City has set up more than 30 cooling centers in air-conditioned libraries and senior centers. They will have cold packs and serve complementary iced water. People are also being encouraged to use more than two dozen wading pools and spray parks made available to help combat the heat._

" _The first death attributable to the heat wave was confirmed just a few hours ago. Although the sixty-six year old male victim is yet to be named it is believed that he passed away due to a pre-existing condition which was exacerbated by the current climate."_

" _In other news tonight, there has been an officer involved shooting in Cedar Mill, Oregon. First reports are that officers were attending a domestic disturbance when shots were fired. We will bring you more on that as we have it."_

" _In business news, Seattle powerhouse GEH has confirmed the pending acquisition of shipping giant TSBC. The Taiwanese Ship Building Company will see the worth of GEH potentially doubling overnight when contracts are finalised on Monday. Locally, GEH has just completed the hostile takeover of floundering publishing house SIP. Speaking yesterday GEH owner, Christian Grey, pledged to secure jobs through the implementation of a turnaround strategy."_

" _SIP is a small publishing house with the potential to take the market by storm. We have some fantastic up and coming authors. The development and marketing plan I have approved is strong. Coupled with our technological ingenuity I have every faith that the team at SIP will have a real impact in shaping the publishing landscape for the future."_

" _Finally, in sports news, as the Seahawks limbered up for the pre-season it was announced that they will face at least their first four regular season games without first choice quarterback Spencer Willis who has reportedly been scheduled for a shoulder surgery later this week._

" _I am Kate Kavanaugh and this is Eagle News."_

" _Thank you, Kate. We will keep you up to date with the latest on the heatwave but for now I'm taking you through the night with your selection of scorching hot tracks to keep you cool… To kick us off we have Ana at Seattle Gen who has requested we keep the ER rockin' with some Billy Idol. You're smashing it down there guys, keep it up. This is Bob Bowden on Eagle Radio and you are Hot. In. the. City._

Ana chuckled and rolled her eyes at the song choice as she made her way to the admit desk. She pulled out her phone and texted her room mate and best friend.

 **You're taking the piss, Kavanaugh. Shocking song choice.**

She hadn't had chance to pocket the phone when she received her response. **Plenty more where that came from. Just trying to keep you awake, Ana** **.**

After completing her orders for the one patient remaining under her care, Ana returned the chart to the rack and leaned on the desk next to Grace's feet. "So, GEH… wow, that's some acquisition. Christian's doing well, huh?" She picked up the cold bottle of juice and took a long chug.

"He is in some respects, dear. I wish that things had been different between you and him. It's such a…" Grace was interrupted by Ana's sudden coughing fit. She caught her breath and then gagged a little, slamming the bottle down. "Urgh! Grace, what the hell did you get me?"

 _It's hot here at night, lonely, black and quiet, o_ _n a hot summer night_

"Is it not nice? It was all they had left in the canteen. It's some fancy berry and mint tea thing."

"Well it took a minute for the flavour to hit but, hell that's bad!" Ana shook her head as a shiver went down her spine at the mere thought of consuming any more. "There's a reason it was left over. I guess cold and wet should work in this heat but that's just cruel and unusual."

 _Don't be afraid of the world we made, on a hot summer night_

Grace chuckled out "Surely it can't be that bad, dear" and took a drink from her own bottle. She was soon pulling the same disgusted face Ana had perfected just a moment earlier. Ana's belly laughing was only stifled when nurse Carly appeared alongside Hannah and started to belt out the final chorus of Kate's song choice. _"… then you know that it's hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, tonight"._

Both girls were tone deaf but Ana, Grace and Frankie all found themselves laughing and singing along with the repeat. _"… hot in the city, hot in the city toni…"_ The ER chorus ceased abruptly as the radio crackled to life. "Seattle Gen ER this is King County Dispatch. We have a 34-year-old male in severe respiratory distress. Resus bed required. Are you cleared to accept? Over."

Grace and Ana both nodded in Frankie's direction. "Dispatch this is Seattle Gen ER. We are cleared to accept in Resus. Over."

"Roger that Seattle Gen. Seattle FD Medic One has an ETA of four minutes. Dispatch out."

The ER was a hive of activity once again, the team suddenly serious and working together in a well-choreographed performance to prepare the Resus room. Supplies readied and machinery checked the team were poised and ready to swing into action.

Gloved, gowned and ready to go, Ana, Grace and Carly made their way to the ambulance bay to await their patient.

 **Escala Penthouse, Downtown Seattle, early hours of August 3** **rd** **, 2017**

Christian looked at the clock for what must have been the eighth time in the last hour. 1.27am. Giving up on the idea of sleep altogether he reached for the remote beside his bed and cranked up the air conditioning and the ambient lighting. He felt the now familiar itching in his nose and the rawness of his throat. "Fuck sake" he grumbled to himself as he reached for a tissue and sneezed right on cue.

With a vague plan to work and then hit the gym for a couple of hours to avoid disturbing Taylor at such an ungodly hour, Christian made his way to the ensuite bathroom to relieve himself. He washed and dried his hands, scrubbing them over his stubbled face as he examined himself in the mirror. His mind occupied with thoughts of how tired he looked these days, Christian padded back to the bed room to pull on a tank top and sweats. As he made his way toward the door he glanced, as always, at the large photograph of a carefree and laughing Ana Steele. Even after all these years it still hung front and centre above his bed. "Laters, Baby" he mumbled as he switched off the light.

As Christian moved toward his office he felt a little tightness in his chest, he likened it to feeling as though couldn't take a good breath. He made a fist with his right hand and banged himself in the centre of the chest a couple of times before taking another slow deliberate intake of air. Having made an extra effort to relax his shoulders and expand his lungs, Christian's exhale was followed abruptly by a coughing fit and a slight wheeze. "Fucking pollen" he grumbled, then coughed again to clear his throat before retrieving a glass of juice and a dose of diphenhydramine from the kitchen.

Once seated Christian awakened his computer and entered the password. He checked the clock, which hung next to another portrait of Ana on his office wall, before deciding it was a good time to catch up with the progress of his team in London. GEH had provided a small but top of the line R & D team to assist a London-based clean energy tech company he had recently invested in.

Throughout the call Christian felt a little winded. He hung up and sighed, knocking back the rest of the freshly squeezed juice. After reviewing the latest financials for the TSBC deal he sorted through some emails and tapped out a message to Andrea checking the travel arrangements for his trip on Monday. Time passed more quickly than Christian realised, his next glance at the clock was at a quarter to four.

Despite the air conditioning Christian still felt like he couldn't breathe in the penthouse. He ran his fingers through his unruly hair and moved to the great room. He set about sliding open the floor to ceiling glass panels to let in some cool air only to discover that there was none to be had. Hit by the oppressive nature of the night Christian thought of Roz's partner, Gwen. A Floridian by birth, he recalled her describing exiting MCO as "walking into a wall of heat". Florida was one of the few states Christian was yet to visit but at 3.50am this Thursday morning in Seattle he was sure that he understood exactly what she meant.

Christian picked up the decanter of scotch momentarily before replacing it on the side table and grabbing his running shoes instead. He figured if he couldn't sleep he might as well run. Ear buds firmly in place he opted to stream the local radio station and exited the elevator in the lobby just in time to catch Kings of Leon. Everything it seemed was a reminder of Anastasia; Christian rued the day he let her walk away without putting up more of a fight. He turned up the volume and ignoring the ache in his chest he lengthened his stride and headed for Pike Place.

Christian turned onto Stewart and maintained his pace. By the time he reached 3rd Avenue the ache had become a burning sensation, like his lungs were on fire. Putting it down to the conditions and the never-ending hay fever he pushed on.

By the time Katherine Kavanaugh read the news and played a segment from his press conference Christian had a pronounced wheeze, he felt out of breath but at the same time not… he could get air in, but it was an effort to get it out again. He slowed his pace a little but continued across 1st Avenue thinking about Kavanaugh and Elliot. He didn't much care for her, but he didn't appreciate the way Elliot treated her either. He was thankful that she had been there for Ana after they separated. She was a good friend.

He heard the song request from Ana and rolled his eyes at the terrible choice. Despite having slowed Christian was finding it increasingly difficult to catch his breath. He turned on to Pike Place and broke into a coughing fit so severe it rent the air from his lungs. It was sudden and severe enough that it dropped him to his knees. Pushing his arms out in front of him to save his face Christian felt something give in his wrist. He didn't have time to concern himself with the damage before his vision started to blur.

Finally, willing to admit to himself that something was very wrong here, Christian pulled out his headphones and hit the speed dial for Taylor. He was too breathless to speak when the call connected on the second ring. Dropping the mobile to the ground next to him he lay prostrate and gasping for breath on the sidewalk.

His vision swam in and out of focus as he lay looking up at Ana's apartment block. He thought to himself how apt it would be if his life were to end here, outside of her home, after all he hadn't really lived a day since she left. The last thing he recalled before passing out was hearing Taylor's concerned voice making the arrangements for an ambulance and the first strains of Billy Idol.

 _It's hot here at night, lonely, black and quiet, o_ _n a hot summer night_

 _Don't be afraid of the world we made, on a hot summer night_

 **Escala Penthouse Annexe Apartment, Downtown Seattle, early hours of August 3rd, 2017**

Jason Taylor was a man of routine. Each day he awoke at 4am, listening to the news on the radio before following his morning ritual. Up, shaved, dressed in sweats, coffee made and then down to business. Weapons checked and holstered, perimeter check completed, debriefed by the overnight team, scan of the security feeds and finally a 5.30am check in with Welch, Sawyer and the GEH team for any office security, planning, covert activity and active threat issues to be addressed.

The 30-minute time cap Jason applied to the daily conference call served several purposes. It kept the team sharp and focussed on the key information, it prevented timewasting and unnecessary chit chat and, most importantly, it ensured that he was on time for his early morning run with Grey.

The fitness obsession had dropped off somewhat when Grey had been seeing Miss Steele but, since she'd been gone, almost six years now, Grey insisted upon it every morning. Whatever the weather the two of them would complete an eight to ten-mile stretch. The route was varied daily at Taylor's insistence, but Grey would ensure that each day he passed by her apartment in Pike Place.

This day began just like any other. The 4am alarm sounded, the radio clicking on just in time for the newscast. He listened to Miss Kavanaugh and the snippet from the GEH press conference. As Kavanaugh described the Seahawks woes Jason swung his feet out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He took a piss and shaved quickly with his electric razor before pulling on his running gear. Next stop was the coffee machine. Jason had just switched it on to brew and pulled out his to-go cup as his cell began to ring.

Recognising the tone as Grey, Jason wondered what the latest crisis could possibly be. He was fairly satisfied that all the loose ends were tied up in preparation for their trip to Taiwan next week. Jason abandoned all hope of coffee and was already making his way into the adjoining apartment when he picked up on the second ring.

"Good Morning Mr Grey" Taylor greeted. He paused awaiting a question or instruction but none came. "Grey, are you there?" Taylor asked as he set off at pace to the security office. "Mr Grey? Sir, can you hear me?" All that came back down the line was a wheeze and a cough followed by gasping and the sound of Billy Idol. Taylor burst through the door to the security office to discover it was the same track playing on the radio there. He realised it must be streaming through Grey's 'phone.

"Reynolds do you have a location on Grey?"

Reynolds nodded his head and clicked on the security tracker feed. "He went for a run about fifteen minutes ago. Here he is, still at Miss Steele's place. He's been stopped there for a few minutes."

"Get a bus and meet me there. Call the team. He's in trouble." Taylor took off at a sprinters pace. He kept the call connected all the way and continued trying to raise Christian. "Mr Grey, I'm coming to you. Just keep breathing. Help is on the way."

Taylor took the express elevator to the lobby and pounded the tarmac at record pace. As he rounded the corner to Pike Place he could see a figure slumped on the floor. His gut twisted as it became clear that figure was indeed the Boss. He did a quick sweep of the scene and found no apparent danger. Kneeling over Christian he checked his airway then looked, listened and felt for signs of life. Relieved to hear sirens in the distance he determined that Christian was thankfully breathing, though his breaths were coming rapid and shallow, he was clammy and there was a quiet but still discernible wheeze. Taylor checked his pulse and frowned at the rapid rhythm. "Jesus, fuck."

Certain that the Boss was in the midst of a severe asthma attack there was little more he could do right now apart from offer reassurances and look out for any further deterioration. Taylor got down on the floor propping Christian against him in a semi sitting position. Christian's head lay back on Taylor's chest. "Just breath with me, Sir. Hang in there." Taylor had never been happier to see an ambulance arrive than at this very moment. It was followed immediately by two Audi Q7's.

Taylor handed over the little information he knew to the Medic One crew and stepped back to instruct the team. One Audi along with Prescott was swiftly dispatched to Bellevue to collect Elliot and Mia Grey. Reynolds remained with Taylor and was tasked with securing Doctor Trevelyan-Grey once they arrived at Seattle General.

Taylor made a call to Sawyer while the crew went to work on the boss. Luke Sawyer had, for the last six years, been head of covert security. His best successes to date were apprehending Leila Williams before she had a second chance to come at Anastasia and gaining a prosecution against Jack Hyde, a crazed medical student who, unbeknownst to Ana, had been stalking her. Sawyer told him what he already suspected – that Doctor Steele would be on duty tonight at the Emergency Room.

The medics were keen to scoop and run given Christian's condition; Taylor was called forward to accompany him after what felt like mere seconds. The crew had impressed him. Working quickly, they had him attached to a monitor and oxygen already. He was strapped to the gurney and wheeled into the back of the ambulance. Once en route the medic continued to take various readings and administer medication accordingly.

Pads were applied to Christians badly cut and bruised knees and an inflatable splint now encased his right wrist – Taylor hadn't even noticed these additional injuries in his panic at Christian's respiratory distress.

The medic provided a running commentary of what he was doing and why. Taylor felt sure this was as much for his own benefit as to be sure of informed consent. That said, Grey did seem to be a little more alert now that some of the medications were taking effect.

Jason also noted that with increased awareness came increased wheeziness and panic. He maintained his quiet presence, understanding that it was most helpful for him to pay attention and keep out of the way. Taking in the look of panic on Grey's face as they approached the ER he could not help but lean forward and grip the Boss' good hand in reassurance.

 **Seattle General, 4.15am, August 3** **rd** **, 2017**

The ambulance pulled up to the bay followed closely by a dark Audi SUV. At the same time the Medic One crew opened the rear doors of the ambulance a large, suited man appeared next to Grace. She felt the warmth and pull of a strong hand under her arm guiding her away. A deep voice she vaguely recognised resonated in her ear. "Please come with me, Doctor Grey." She opened her mouth to object, but her protests died on her lips as she saw her youngest son being wheeled out on the gurney. He was strapped down and attached to a monitor. An oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, but Grace could still see his pale cyanosed appearance.

"This way please Doctor Grey. Mr and Miss Grey are en route from Bellevue, they'll be with you soon." The voice registered this time as Reynolds, one of Christians security team. He began to walk moving a wailing Grace along with him. "My boy! My boy! Please... Ana please!"

Reynolds 6'2" rock solid frame shifted slowly but surely toward the main entrance and the privacy of the family room which had already been secured. "Doctor Grey, Doctor Grey, please, come this way. They will take good care of him Ma'am."

Ana looked on dismayed for what felt like a lifetime as the scene played out in front of her. In reality only seconds had passed. Grace had been taken away from the situation because she was too close. Ana didn't know if she was any better placed to deal with this than Grace had been. Anyone who knew Ana well understood that this man in front of her gasping for air, was the love of her life. It slayed her to see him fight for his every breath.

The stoic and ever-present Taylor was at Christians side ready to assist in any way possible. Grey had a firm grip of his hand and looked terrified. Taylor looked at Ana reassuringly and gave her a wink and a smile of encouragement. Ana found her uncertainty receding as she stepped up to meet her patient. This is what she did best, he was in her domain now. She was the dominant force here and his life depended on her. Ana knew with certainty that there was nobody on this earth she would fight harder to save.

"Ok, give me the bullet."

"This is Christian Grey, 34-year-old male. Acute respiratory distress of recent onset. No know history although his security reports a recent chesty cough of three weeks duration and hay fever symptoms. Patient was out running when he collapsed.

"Classic asthma symptoms present at initial assessment." The trolley clattered its way through the ER doors and toward Resus. "Pronounced wheeze on inspiration and expiration, increased work of breathing with diminished breath sounds bilaterally. Tachycardic at 126, resps 38, BP of 140 over 89, down from an initial 157 over 99. Sats were at 92 on room air, increased to 94 on administration of nebulized Albuterol and eight liters per minute of O2."

"Solumedrol given in the field?"

No, Ma'am. We were only four minutes out and he seemed to be responding to the bronchodilators. Top to toe revealed bruising and lacerations to both knees and a potential Colles' fracture to the right wrist. Knees are wrapped, wrist is air splinted but not reduced. Capillary refill indicates no vascular involvement."

"Ok, thanks guys, we have it from here. Is everyone set? Ready, steady, slide."

As the team shifted Christian easily onto the trolley Ana hit her stride and began to organise her staff. "Hannah, page Susan please, I need her down here. Carly, can we get him on our monitors please, let me have some up to date numbers as soon as you have them. Dean, can you get me a blood gas kit please and then prepare a dose of nebulised Albuterol and Atrovent via CPAP."

As everyone completed their tasks Ana stepped up to the head of the gurney to speak directly to Christian for the first time. Her heart broke for him. He was wide eyed and fearful. In that moment she saw the terrified four-year-old he had talked about when he explained why he could never be a father.

"Mr Grey, I'm your doctor. Do you know where you are?" A faint nod of his head was the only response.

"Mr Grey, do you recognise me?" Another nod.

"Christian I'm going to help you. I know that it's hard to breathe right now. I _am_ going to help you to breathe more easily but I need you to relax and cooperate, okay? My team and I are going to need to touch your chest and back to examine you. I'll keep it as brief as I can, I promise."

Christian frantically shook his head and wheezed "Only you".

"Okay, okay, only me. Only me. I need to listen to your chest now. Let's get this over with."

He nodded briefly before screwing his eyes up and resting his head back.

Ana gingerly placed her stethoscope, mindful of the 'no go' areas. "We still have diminished breath sounds bilaterally. He's moving next to no tidal volume. Christian I'm going to change your mask to one which will be a better fit. It will allow me to give you pressurised oxygen along with some medication to open up your lungs a little. Is that okay?"

Again, a slight nod of his head.

Carly began to call out numbers to the team. "BP 145 over 92. Still tachy at 136. Sats back down to 92."

"Dean is going to set you up with that mask, okay? I need to get a blood gas. Christian, this is going to hurt. I will be as fast and gentle as I can but there is no way to do this without some pain. Taylor, you can keep a hold of his hand for me but I need you to just turn your hand over so I can get in there to the veins."

Ana drew the arterial blood gas and immediately handed off the sample for testing. She applied a small band aid and asked Taylor to apply pressure to the site of the puncture wound before running her fingers through Christian's hair. To her surprise he leaned into the contact. "You're doing well, Christian. Just breathe with me. Look at me Christian, breathe with me. You need to slow it down some more. You can do this. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Hannah can you please strip back the dressings? I need to I examine Mr Grey's knees. Dean I want two lines in please."

"Ana, why two lines? What's your plan here?" Susan had returned as soon as she received the page but was happy to watch from the side lines for as long as Ana appeared to be coping.

Ana responded at the same time as she began to examine Christian's right wrist, checking the capillary refill. "Two lines, simultaneous administration of Solumedrol and Magnesium Sulfate by infusion."

"Okay, that's a good plan. Need any help?"

"You could page ortho and get me a portable x-ray in here."

"Consider it done." Susan made the necessary calls and then went in search of the blood gas result.

"Solumedrol is up, Ana. I'm about to hang the Magnesium. Single bag, twenty-minute infusion?"

"Please, Dean. Give me some more numbers please, Carly."

"Pulse 122, Sats 94, BP 130 over 94. He's responding but slowly. He's becoming a little agitated."

Susan burst back into Resus. "Ana, blood gases are back. pH of 7. Oxygen is down, CO2 elevated. He's in status. We need to act now before he suffers irreversible damage. He's fighting the CPAP and his heart rate is still too high to consider Epi. Carly can you get me an ET kit? We need to intubate."

"My patient can hear you, Susan. Let's see what he wants to do here. Taylor, are you able to advise of any advance directives Mr Grey may have in place? I need to know…" Ana was stopped mid-sentence by Christian grabbing her hand.

"No… no t-tube."

"Christian your anxiety at being touched is increasing your respirations further. You're becoming agitated and confused because of the build up of Carbon Dioxide in your lungs. Intubation is going to become a necessity if we can't turn this around quickly. You are heading toward respiratory arrest and I'm not about to let you die in my Resus because you're being a pig-headed control freak."

"No… tube."

"There is one other thing I can try. If that doesn't work I will _need_ to tube you. We are running out of options here."

"Any… thing." Christian squeezed her hand and looked her straight in the eye. "L-love… you."

Ana blinked back her tears and squeezed his hand in return. She drew in a deep breath and started to give her orders. "Ketamine. Bolus of two milligrams per kilo, infusion of 2mg per kilo per hour. Let's knock him out and see if we can get a handle on this without the anxiety being a factor. Can we chase up that x-ray, I want to see what's going on with his chest. Carly, Hannah, those knees can be irrigated and sutured as necessary. Now would be a good time for Ortho to come realign this wrist, too."

Susan spoke up again. "They're here. And I approve, a good confident approach, Ana. Take five and then update the family. I'll cover you."

"Ana, Ketamine bolus is on board."

Ana moved back to the head of the bed. "You're going to feel a little strange now, Christian. You'll be sedated but not asleep. Just relax and trust me. If this works we can avoid tubing you. I'm giving you an hour to turn this around and then we are out of time." Christian nodded as his eyes began to flutter. She leaned down to his ear and whispered "I love you, too. Always have, always will."

 **Seattle General, Critical Care Unit, 3pm August 3rd, 2017**

Anastasia made her way, dishevelled and exhausted, through the doors of Critical Care. The ER had hit Code Black at 7.42am, just 18 minutes short of her scheduled finish time. There had been a pile up on the I5 and in the absence of Grace, Ana had been lumped with an extended shift to cover.

Although she would never have begrudged her much-admired mentor the time with her desperately ill son, she couldn't help but feel envious. Ana would have given anything to have remained with Christian when he was finally deemed stable enough to be moved upstairs.

Around 9am Ana had been reacquainted with Luke Sawyer. She suspected that he kept tabs on her on a regular basis and was unsurprised and relieved when he assured her that he'd be down with hourly updates for her. Though informative – a verbatim recounting of Christian's hourly review – the updates did not quell Ana's need to be in closer proximity than she was.

Once inside the unit Ana made her way to the nurses' station to check the board. Christian had been allocated a private room. As she approached it was abundantly clear where he was. The Grey family were visiting two at a time and the remainder were flanked by security in the nearest waiting area. Lacking the energy to face a barrage of questions from all of them Ana turned to her right and was instead greeted by Taylor at his post outside of Christian's room.

"How is he, Taylor?"

"He's doing better now. Thanks to you they haven't needed to use the vent. They backed off the Ketamine about an hour ago so he's expected to wake any time in the next couple of hours."

"Who's with him now?" Ana was desperate to be with him again but at the same time she knew that she would not be treated any differently because of her position in the hospital. Two to a bed meant two to a bed.

"Elliot and Miss Kavanaugh are in there right now. I have instructions to remove anyone present to give you priority visiting." She couldn't help but notice Taylor's smirk as he said this.

"Kavanaugh… Kate? What? Instructions from whom?"

Yes, Ma'am, Kate. Elliot contacted her earlier in distress and she came to him. Instructions from Dr Trevelyan Grey, Ma'am. You are to be granted visitation above all others, herself included." Taylors smirk had become a full blown smile now. "She assumed after your reconnection earlier that things were once again 'on'… as they of course should be."

"And who, pray tell, advised her of our "reconnection" earlier? And drop the Ma'am, I know I've aged but I'm still not ninety. Ana or Doc works just fine for me."

"That would be me… Doc. Go on in, he's due another assessment shortly. You know he'd want you to be there." Ana nodded and made her way through the door a smug looking Taylor held open.

Elliot and Kate made way for her as expected. Kate left Ana with a hug and kiss and a promise to return with a strong coffee and food. Elliot was somewhat more profound and cried all over her scrubs before thanking her for saving Christian's life.

Ana was about at her limit for human interaction today. The nurse keeping watch at the foot of the bed seemed to recognise the look because she merely smiled kindly and went back to her record keeping.

Ana's body craved food and sleep and was at a point where she would not function much longer without both of those things. More than that though, her soul craved the emotional connection she had with this man; a connection she had not shared with anyone either before or since Christian.

She perched next to Christian's bed taking his good hand in hers. She ignored the niggling desire to go through his chart with the understanding that this was no longer just a professional following up on a patient. As such she would wait for the next review and grill whomever had been put in charge of his care.

Ana took her time to examine his features. The CPAP was gone now, replaced with nasal prongs. Without the anxiety cloaking his face he looked more like _her_ Christian. He was once again the confident CEO rather than the petrified four-year-old. He looked older though still just as handsome. He was not an old man by any means, but he looked weary, older than a man of his years should look. Ana wondered if he had found anyone else to scare away his nightmares in the time they had been apart.

Before she became too lost in her thoughts the door opened and Christian's attending entered followed closely by Grace. Nurse Norah and the attending spoke in hushed tones as Grace put her arms around Ana.

"Thank you, dear girl. Thank you so, so very much."

Ana did not get a chance to respond before the attending introduced himself as Professor Michael Sanders. Grace and Sanders went way back, she clearly trusted him. That was good enough for Ana. She took his proffered hand and introduced herself, "Anastasia Steele MD".

"Ah, the wonderous Doctor Steele? Good work this morning, you made my job a hell of a lot easier and Mr Grey's full recovery a whole lot more likely." Ana felt herself blush a little but didn't have time to dwell on the complement. Sanders was all business.

"The solumedrol and magnesium combination worked perfectly well with CPAP nebs. You made an excellent call with the Ketamine, too. No intubation necessary. Mr Grey has been off CPAP and nebs for approaching four hours now. Nasal prongs at 8 liters of oxygen has been enough for him to sustain a saturation of ninety-seven percent. We have scheduled Albuterol treatments at six-hourly intervals for the next forty-eight hours. Additionally, we have IV Levofloxacin for the pneumonia. We discontinued the Ketamine two hours ago, so we should see more reaction to external stimulus in the next couple of hours. As you're aware Ketamine is a conscious sedation, but Mr Grey has been sleeping for the last three to four hours so his response to stimulus has been more difficult to chart. Fair to say the increased work of breathing has him exhausted. You know his knees had to be sutured. His wrist was reduced and cast with no complications. He'll be out of action for six to eight weeks if he follows orders. Any questions?"

"Ah, no, none. Thank you, Professor Sanders."

"Very good. Norah can give you a run down on the numbers, but you can read those machines for yourself. Everything is moving in the right direction and the most recent blood gas was back within normal range. A job well done Dr Steele."

With that Sanders turned and exited the room. Ana resumed her seat holding Christian's hand and Grace sat wordlessly next to her. She knew from experience that Ana was spent right now. They both held hands and lay their heads down on Christian's bed.

The next thing Ana was aware of was the sensation of someone playing with her hair. At first, she just relaxed and enjoyed the blissful feeling of that familiar touch but then she heard a cough and pulled herself back to consciousness.

She shot upright and looked around the room. Christian was awake. Norah had already stepped forward to raise the head of the bed a little more and offered Christian a sip of water. Ana took in Grace's sleeping form next to her and gently shook her awake before standing to move closer to Christian.

She took the water from Norah and sat on the edge of the bed holding the straw to Christian's lips again. He took several small sips before shaking his head.

He tried to reach for her but only his fingers would cooperate. "It's just the meds" Ana reassured, "you'll be back to normal in no time." She put down the cup and ran her fingers through his dishevelled hair before placing a kiss on his forehead. "I thought you were dying. Don't ever fucking do that to me again, okay?"

He nodded his agreement. "I'm sorry."

Ana chuckled at him, stroking his cheek affectionately. "You have no reason to be sorry, Christian. You are sick, you didn't choose this for yourself."

"No, I mean I'm sorry… for letting you go. Letting us go. I love you. Always. Forever."

"I love you, too. But things have not changed for me. I still want the same things I always have. Children, dog, white picket fence, the whole nine yards."

"Anything. I'll give you… anything. I want that, too. I want it with you."

"Christian, you're medicated, you're sick, don't put me in this position, please just…"

"Marry me?" he rasped.

"What? You can't be serious. I can't do this again with you and end up having to walk away. I won't survive that again. Kids are a hard limit for you, remember?"

"Not with you. Not anymore. Marry me… please?"

Suddenly Grace made her presence known to them both. "For goodness sakes, will you just say "yes" already. You kids drive me insane." She had tears streaking down her cheeks and a look of pure joy etched on her face at just seeing them talking after all this time.

Ana looked back to Christian and gave a single solitary nod.

"What is that? Is that… a response? …a yes?"

"Yes. Yes, it's a yes. Jesus, I must be fucking crazy."

 **Escala Penthouse, March 16** **th** **, 2018**

"Christian, you trust me, don't you?"

"You know… I do. I just…." He writhed on the bed, gasping for breath and fighting for purchase.

"Shhh. Don't talk, just breathe. Just listen to me and mirror my breathing."

Slap! "Arrrgh, fuck."

"Mr Grey! Such language! That will earn you three more. Now keep still or I _will_ restrain you."

Before Ana could make her move he grabbed the paddle from her hands and flipped her over, pinning her to the bed as the implement hit the floor with a clatter. She shrieked. "You don't play fair."

"I'm fair. I just want to take care of my wife while I still can. Now _you_ lay still."

Christian worked his way down her body, kissing, nipping and licking as he went. Her neck, her full breasts, her swollen abdomen. Christian had just reached the apex of her thighs when she gasped and moved her hands to her belly. "What is it? Ana, what's wrong, did I hurt you?"

"Nothing's wrong. Come here and give me your hands." Christian crawled up the bed and she placed his hands on her abdomen. "Just be still and feel." It took a few seconds before Christian felt it. It was strange, like a weird rippling beneath Ana's skin. The widest smile spread across his face. "Is that Junior?" Ana nodded, smiling in spite of the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Wow, just… wow. I can't wait. God, I love you Mrs. Grey."

"That's Doctor Grey to you."

The End.


End file.
